Multi-leaf Collimator Synchronized Carriage Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
During radiotherapy, patient breathing causes shifts in the tumor target area, leading to inaccurate alignment of the irradiation field, and existing methods for adjusting the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) result in collisions and low accuracy due to control errors, damaging the drive mechanism and failing to maintain the irradiation field's shape.
Innovation Solution
A multi-leaf collimator design where a drive device synchronizes the movement of two carriages and their respective sets of leaves in the same direction, ensuring accurate alignment and shape consistency of the irradiation field with the tumor target area, preventing collisions and enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If independent control of first and second carriages is used, then flexibility in shaping irradiation field is improved, but control accuracy deteriorates due to collisions and drive mechanism damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of the first and second carriages by connecting them through a common drive device and transmission mechanism. The first carriage drive device drives both the first carriage and the second carriage through gear transmissions, ensuring they move synchronously in the same direction. This unified control approach eliminates independent control while maintaining flexibility through the coordinated movement of both carriages, thereby preventing collisions and improving control accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If separate drive mechanisms for first and second carriages are used, then operational independence is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to collisions and drive mechanism damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate drive mechanisms into a unified drive system where a single first carriage drive device controls both carriages. The transmission mechanism includes gears that transmit rotational motion from the first carriage drive device to both the first carriage and the second carriage, ensuring synchronized operation. This merged drive system maintains operational flexibility while significantly improving reliability by eliminating the collision risks associated with independent control systems.
3Device complexity
If no synchronization between carriages is implemented, then device complexity is reduced, but irradiation field shape consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements carriage synchronization through a merged drive system where the first carriage drive device controls both carriages via a transmission mechanism. The transmission includes gears that ensure both carriages move at the same speed and in the same direction. This synchronization mechanism, while adding some structural complexity, maintains the consistency of the irradiation field shape by ensuring both sets of leaves move coordinates, thereby preventing field distortion.
4Adaptability or versatility
If control errors occur in independent carriage control, then operational flexibility is maintained, but harmful effects increase due to collisions and field shape distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control systems to synchronize both carriages under a single drive device. The transmission mechanism ensures that any control input is transmitted uniformly to both carriages, preventing differential movement that could cause collisions. This unified control approach eliminates the harmful effects of control errors while preserving operational flexibility through the coordinated action of both carriages in shaping the irradiation field.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-leaf collimator includes a first carriage, a second carriage, a drive device, a first set of leaves disposed on the first carriage, and a second set of leaves disposed on the second carriage, wherein the first set of leaves and the second set of leaves are disposed oppositely to each other, and each leaf in each of the sets of leaves is movable relative to each respective carriage; and the drive device is configured to drive the first carriage and the second carriage to move in the same direction synchronously.